Self-cleaning horse-lift hay-buck.



R. J. FRANCIS. SELF CLEANING HORSE LIFT HAY BUCK. APPLICATION FILEDPEB.28, 1912.

Patented Oct. 28, 19 13.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOR &.nnbu0 I y J- Francz' 3 vl ANMPAPH COHWASNINGTON D cR. J. FRANCIS.

SELF CLEANING HORSE LIFT HAY BUCK.

APPLICATION FILED 12212.23, 1912. Patented 0013. 28, 1913.

4 SHEETSSHBBT 2.

COLUMBIA PYLANOLIRAPB co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

w M mfim w k I w W M m x R. J. FRANCIS.

SELF CLEANING HORSE LIFT HAY BUCK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.28, 1912.

1,077,059. Patented 0ct.28,1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' INVENTOR COLUMBH} PLANOGRAPH Co.,wAsl-lma'roN. n. c

R. J. FRANCIS.

SELF CLEANING HORSE LIFT HAY BUCK.

APPLICATION runnrnxzs, 1912.

1,077,059, Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

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res.

RAYMOND J. FRANCIS, OF GIBBON, NEBRASKA.

SELFCLEA1 TI1\TG HORSE-LIFT HAY-BUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

Application filed February 28, 1912. Serial No. 680,511.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, RAYMOND J. FRANOIs.

a citizen of the United States, residing at Gibbon, in the county ofBuffalo and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Self- Cleaning Horse-Lift Hay-Bucks, of which. thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawing.

This invention relates to self cleaning, horse lift hay bucks, and hasfor its object the production of simple and efiicient selfcleaning buck,the cleaning mechanism thereof being operated through the medium of thedraft means.

Another object of this invention is the production of an efficientreleasing means for quickly throwing the draft means into an operativeposition so as to operate the cleaning means for the buck.

With these and other objects in view this invention consists of certainnovel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts as will behereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of the hay buck. Fig. 2 is aside elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a front view. Fig. 4c is a top planview of the rear of the hay buck. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 6 is a sectiontaken through the supporting wheel and protecting hood. Fig. 7 is asection taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section ofone end of the push pole. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the ratchetcontrolling lever. Fig. 10 is a detail perspective of one of thecleaning frame su )porting irons. Fig. 11 is a detail perspective of therear portion of one of the cleaning frame sup porting members to whichthe push poles are secured. Fig. 12 is a longitudinal section throughthe rear end of one of the lifting poles. Fig. 13 is a detailperspective of the sliding sleeve which shifts the cleaning frame. Fig.let is a detail perspective of one of the double trees showing theguiding socket carried thereby. Fig. 15 is a transverse section taken online 15-15 of Fig. 1. Fig. 16 is a detail perspective of one of theguide frames for the cleaning frame operating levers.

The present machine is adapted to be used in connection with a stackerand as will be seen from the following description, the object of thepresent device is to produce a self-cleaning structure which will shovethe hay or other material gathered by the buck upon the stacker fork.This is accomplished through the medium ofthe specially arrangedmechanism hereinafter described for allowing the horses attached to thebuck to transmit their energy to the cleaning mechanism, therebyrelieving considerable labor on the part of the operator of the buckwhich has been previously necessary in order to accomplish the cleaningfunction of the buck.

By carefully considering Fig. 1, it will be seen that the buck comprisesa rear frame 1 which is supported upon the usual idle wheels 2. A pairof divergently eX- tending beams 3 are connected at their rear ends tothe truck 1, and are-connected at their outer ends to the gathering fork4. This gathering 'fork 4: comprises a rear binding member 5 to which isattached the usual teeth, as illustrated clearly in Fig. 1. Anintermediate brace member 6 is carried between the teeth of the bucknear their rear ends as illustrated in Fig. 5. 'A shaft 7 is carried bythe buck rake and upon this shaft 7 are mounted wheels 8 of the usualconstruction, having the usual oil cups 9. A fender frame 10 is carriedby the teeth which are placed upon each side of the wheels 8, and thisfender frame comprises an overhanging portion 11 having laterallyextending feet 12 engaging the oppositely disposed teeth of the rail asclearly illustrated in Fig. 1. I The rear end of the fender 10 is bracedby means ofsa brace rod 13. Substantially V-shaped braces 14: areconnected at their lower ends to the rear beam 5, and have their upperends connected to a vertically extending frame or strap member 15, whichstrap member is fixedly secured to the transversebeam 6 of the buck atits lower end. The upper end of the strip or brace member 15 is providedwith an angularly disposed end'17, which end is ward end forconstituting yielding means provided the front of the teeth should comein contact with an obstruction for allowing the teeth of the buck raketo tip slightly upward while loading the rake.

A plurality of cleaning frame supporting shafts 23 are interposedbetween the transversely extending braces 5 and 6, and

these shafts 23 are suspended upon the hangers 24 depending from thebrace members 5 and 6. The cleaning frame comprises a plurality ofelongated members 25 which extend transversely of the buck, and thesemembers 25 are connected at their extreme ends by means .of straps 26. Aplurality of brace members 27 also engage the members 25 as illustratedin Figs. 3 and 5, which brace members comprise a substantially V- shapedmember having its upper ends bolted or otherwise secured to the members25, and its lower upturned end 29 secured to a rear brace member 30.This brace member 30 is provided with an angle end 31 for engaging therear face of the upper longitudinally extending member 25, and the lowerangle end 32 of this brace member 30 engages a sleeve 33 which sleeve isslidably j mounted upon the shaft 23. It should, of f course beunderstood that each of the brace members 27 is so mounted upon theshaft 23 as just described, and as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5. Thesleeve 33 is provided with a threaded aperture 34 for receiving athreaded pin 34 which pin has its head countersunk in the angular lowerend 32 thereby holding the end 32 in engagement with the sleeve 33. Aneye 35 is secured to the brace 30 an t t eye is connected the forwardend of one of the push rods 36. A central brace member 37 is supportedupon the central tooth 4 of the rake and comprises a substantially longupwardly extending end 38 whichengages the rear face of thelongitudinally extending members 25,. This brace 37 is provided with aforwardly extending portion 39 which terminates in a;rearwardlyextending portion 40, which portion extends upwardly and at anangle to the rear having its angle end 41 connected to one of thelongitudinally extending membore 25, by means of the bolt or othersuitable fastening means.

for holding the same against independent longitudinal movement.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, two of the braces 27 are arranged near eachend of the cleanng frame, and one of these braces, pref-' Cotter pins 42pass 1 through the respective ends of the shaft 23 animal should backafter the rake has been cleaned, the cleaning frame will be pulled toits original position to the rear of the cleaning lifting fork.

A pair of arc guide frames 44 have their inner ends connected to therespective beams or members 3, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, and therear ends of the guide frames 44 pass over the top of the rear truck 1.This guide frame 44 comprises an upper and lower guiding strap 45 asillustrated in Fig. 15, and between these guiding straps is adapted tofit the tree or lever 46. course, it should he understood that each ofthe guiding frames 44 and the lever 46 is of the same structure as justdescribed. A guide socket 47 is carried by each of the braces or levers46, and this guiding socket is provided with a channel groove 48, inWhich travels the upper strap 45 of the guide 44 so as to prevent thelever or tree 46 from having lateral movement, relative to the guide 44.It will therefore be seen that through the medium of this guide socket47 the lever 46 will be firmly held in engagement with the guide 44.This guide frame 44 has one end fixedly secured to the beam 3 as abovedescribed and the other end bent over to form a loop as illustrated inFig. 16. The end of the loop is securely fastened to the frame 44 asillustrated at 48 in Fig. 16. A swingle tree or other draft connectingmeans 49 is connected to the outer end of each of the levers or trees46, and the inner end of the push pole or rod 36 is connected to thelever or tree 46 near the socket 47 as illustrated in Fig. 4. The innerends of the levers 46 are connected to the lifting poles or rods 20 bymeans of link members 50. These link members 50 are connected to thelevers 46 by means of eye bolts 51. The extreme ends of the rods 20 areconnected to the operating lever 52 which operating lever 52 ispivotally secured to the quadrant 53. This quadrant 53 is supported uponthe truck 1, and the transversely extending brace 54 which braceconnects the diagonal braces 55 near their inner ends. The diagonalbraces 55 have their extreme outer ends connected to the beams 3 whereastheir extreme ends are connected to the truck 1, as illustrated in Fig.4.

The operating lever 52 carries a spring dog 56, which dog is adapted tofit in the notches 57 and ratchet teeth 58 formed upon the quadrant 53,A dog lifting handle 58 is connected to a foot lift 59 which foot liftis pivotally s ured to the lever 52. A link 60 connects the handle 58with the foot lift 59. It will, thus be obvious that by squeezing thehandle 58 upon the lever 52 that the :dog .56 may be lifted out of oneof the notches 57, and the same function may be performed by theoperator merely placing his foot upon the laterally extending por-' tion61 of the foot lever 59. A link 62 is carried by the lever 52, and maybe placed over the handle 50 for holding the dog 56 out of engagementwith one of the notches 57 so that the lever may have free oscillatorymovement upon the quadrant 53. The lifting pole or rod 20 comprises ahollow tubular member in which fits the tubular stem 63 of the leverconnecting member 64. This lever connecting member 64 is so connected tothe tubular lifting pole 20 as to allow the same to be adjusted bymerely placing the bolt 65 in the different apertures 67 formed in therear end of the pole 20. Through this means, it will be obvious that anyplay which might take place through the constant wear of the machine maybe readily taken up by so adjusting the member 64 within the pole 20. Astop pin 68 is carried near each end of the frame 1,

and the levers 46 abut against this pin, said pin acting as a fulcrumfor said lever, and holding the push rods 36 against any materiallongitudinal movement while the pins are in such a position. It will,therefore,

be seen that when it is desired to lift the forward end of the buckrake, the same may be accomplished either by swinging the lever 52manually without the aid of the draft animals or the dog 56 may bereleased from one of the notches 57, and by causing the horses to moveforward the rods 20 will be drawn rearwardly thereby causing the frameto tip upwardly to the position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Thepin 68 is provided with an eye 69 upon its lowerend in which eye works ahook member 70 formed upon the rod 71 which extends longitudinally ofthe frame 1, said rod being connected to the rear face of said frame. Afoot lever of any desired construction 72 is carried by the frame 1, andis normally held in its vertical position by means of a coil spring 73.Of course, when it is desired to remove the pin 68 out of engagementwith the levers 46, the foot lever 7 2 is pushed forwardly therebydrawing the pin 68 out of engagement with the levers 46, and allowingthe levers to be pulled in a forward direction. As soon as the lever 72is released, however, the pin 68 will be forced to its normal positionthrough the medium of the spring 73. A seat 74 of the usual constructionis carried by the frame 1.

hen it is desired to clean the buck rake, the pins 68 are released fromin front of the levers 46, and as the horse or draft animal pullsforwardly the levers 46 will be swung to such a posit-ion to cause thecleaning rods to move forwardly thereby pushing the cleaning frameforwardly, which will cause the sleeves 33 to slide upon the shafts 23.As will be noticed in Fig. 13, as well as in Fig. 5, the sleeve 33 isprovided with an upwardly extending portion 75 which projection 75extendsthrough the angle foot 32 of the brace 30 constituting ananchoring means therefor. The shaft 7, above mentioned, comprises asleeve as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 7, which sleeve fits over thesquare brace 6, and this sleeve is provided with threaded ends overwhich the nuts 76 fit for holding the wheel 8 against latera movement.

As above stated, the buck rake is moved along the field gathering up thehay or other material desired, and is then brought to the hay liftwhereupon the buck fork is placed in front so as to have the teeth ofthe lifting rake interlock with the teeth of the buck rake. As soon asthe hay or other material is gathered from the ground, during whichoperation the teeth of the buck rake take the position as shown indotted lines, and indicated by the letter A in Fig. 2, the lever 52 isswung backwardly to engage the rear notch 57 thereby causing the forwardend of the teeth to extend upwardly at an angle for holding the hayuponthe fork. This operation takes place by merely swinging the lever 52backwardly through the edge of the levers 46 acted upon by the draftanimals as above described. When the buck rake is brought to the desiredposition relative to the lift rake, the pins 68 are released from thelevers 46, and by driving the horses forward the cleaning frame will beshoved forward as above described, to a sufficient distance to have thehay or other material contained upon the rake to be engaged by the liftrake. The horses or draft animals are then backed, withdrawing the buckrake from thelift rake and by so backing the horses will, of course,pull upon the chains 43 causing the cleaning frame to come to its normalposition as shown in full lines in Fig. 2. Y

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that a very efficientand durable device has been produced which may be very efficientlyoperated and in view of the fact that the operation of the levers, etc,will be greatly aided by means of the draft animals, considerable laboron the part of the operator will be relieved.

' A guide member or strap 77 straddles each of the horizontallyextending members 78 of each connecting member 28 for holding thecleaning frame firmly upon the rake frame, as is clearly illustrated inFigs. 3 and 5. A brace member 79 is also carried by the frame of therake and engages the transversely extending member 6 and the rearbinding member 5.

What is claimed is 1. A buck rake of the class described com prising atruck, a rake carried to the front of said truck, tipping meanstherefor, a cleaning frame carried by said rake, draft means carried bysaid truck, connecting means for said cleaning frame and draft means,and means for releasing said draft means from said truck and causingsaid draft means to reciprocate said cleaning frame upon said rake.

2. A. buck rake of the class described comprising a truck, a rakecarried by said truck, means for tipping said rake, a cleaning framereciprocating upon said rake, draft means carried by said truck, andmeans for releasing said draft means from said truck for allowing theshifting of said cleaning frame upon said rake.

3. A buck rake of the class described comprising a truck, a rake carriedin front of said truck, a cleaning frame carried by said rake, leverscarried by said truck, draft trees carried by said truck, removablepivot pins carried by said truck and engaging said draft trees forpreventing the bodily for ward movement of said levers upon said. truck,tipping rods connected to said rake, and said levers, locking meansconnected to said tipping rods, said levers being adapted to force saidcleaning frame forwardly with relation to the rake when said pivot pinsare removed. 1

4. In a buck rake of the class described, the combination with a truck,of a rake pivotally mounted in front of said truck, cleaning means forsaid rake, and levers connected to said truck, tipping rods COD. nectedto said levers and rake, push rods, connected to said levers andcleaning frame I detachable pivot pins carried by said truck, means forreleasing said pivot pins from engagement with said levers, a guidestrap cooperating with said levers and being adapted to hold the sameagainst displacement from said truck, and means for locking the innerends of said levers against pivotal movement about said pivot pins ascenters.

5. In a buck rake of the class described; the combination with a truck,levers carried 1 by said truck, a rake carried in front of said truck,cleaning means for said rake, tipping rods carried by said rake andconnected to said levers, push rods connected to said levers andcleaning frame, releasable pivot pins carried by said truck and engagingsaid levers and being capable of allowing said lovers to be swung uponsaid frame when said pins are released from said levers, and guidingmeans engaging said levers for limiting the movement thereof upon saidtruck.

6. A rake of the class described comprising a plurality of tipping rods,brace means for said tipping rods, a cleaning frame, braces for saidcleaning frame, shafts carried by said rake, means positioned upon saidshaft and carried by said cleaning frame for allowing said frame to bereciprocated upon said rake, means for reciproeating said cleaning frameupon said rake, and said tipping rods constituting a stop for limitingthe rearward movement of said cleaning frame.

7. A cleaning mechanism for a rake com prising a truck, a lover carriedby said truck, pivot pins removably mounted upon said truck andextending therethrough and capable of having vertical movement, eachpivot pin provided with an eye upon its lower end, a releasing rod, anoperating lever secured to said releasing rod, hook members carried bysaid releasing rod and pass ing through said eyes in said pivot pins forcausing said pivot pins to be Withdrawn from engagement with said leverwhen said lever is moved forwardly, a cleaning frame, and meansconnecting said cleaning frame with said lever for moving said cleaningframe forwardly as said lever is swung.

8. A cleaning device for a rake comprising a truck, a lever pivotallymounted thereon, removable pivot pins engaging said lever and engagingthe same in a set position upon said truck, guiding frames carried bysaid truck, said levers passing through said guiding frames, and aguiding socket carried by each lever and straddling said guiding framefor retaining lateral movement of said levers relative to said frame.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

RAYMOND J. FRANCIS. I'Vitnesses W. A. SPENCER, W. C. OGILVIE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

